από πού είσαι;
apo pou eisai?
To ask "where are you from?" in Greek, say από πού είσαι.
από πού είσαι is the singular, informal question used with friends, children or people you know well.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of από (from), πού (where) and είσαι (are you), so word for word it reads "from where are you?"
Which one should you use?
Από πού κατάγεσαι means "Where do you come from?" and asks about origin. Ποια είναι η χώρα καταγωγής σας is a formal way to ask "What is your country of origin?"
How does it change in a sentence?
Use από πού είστε instead of από πού είσαι when you address a group of people or use the formal "you" with a stranger or superior.
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced apo pou eisai?
When do people say it?
A common way to answer is Είμαι από… followed by your country or city.
Did you know?
- When answering Είμαι από…, Greeks often name their specific village or region rather than just their country, as local identity is traditionally very strong.
- The word από is a cognate of the English prefix 'apo-' used in words like 'apology' or 'apostrophe', both of which originally implied a sense of moving 'away' or 'from'.
- While είσαι means 'are you', the more sophisticated verb κατάγεσαι shares a root with the word for 'descent'. Using it changes the query from a simple location to an inquiry about one's lineage.
Examples in context
- Καλημέρα! Από πού είστε;Good morning! Where are you from?
- Γεια σου! Από πού είσαι;Hi! Where are you from?
- Ωραία! Από πού κατάγεσαι;Nice! Where do you come from?
- Από πού είσαι;Apó poú eísai;Where are you from?
- Συγγνώμη, από πού είσαι;Syngnómi, apó poú eísai;Excuse me, where are you from?
Example conversation
Kostas and Maria meet for the first time at a party.
- Κώστας KostasΧαίρομαι που σε γνώρισα. Από πού είσαι;Charomai pou se gnorisa. Apo pou eisai?Nice to meet you. Where are you from?
- Μαρία MariaΕίμαι από την Αγγλία, Κώστα.Eimai apo tin Anglia, Kosta.I am from England, Kostas.
- Κώστας KostasΩραία! Μιλάς πολύ καλά ελληνικά.Oraia! Milas poly kala ellinika.Cool! You speak Greek very well.
- Μαρία MariaΕυχαριστώ πολύ, Μαρία!Efcharisto poly, Maria!Thank you very much, Maria!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries από, πού, CC BY-SA 4.0.
